The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1887-11-04

stop and parley for some time with couple
of men ; then mounting one of the mules he
rode away.
The children waited, afraid to speak lest
the men in the field should discover them.
Maria began to sob. She was weak from
long fasting and for the first time in her life
she was untidy and unwashed The neat
little Moravian loathed herself
Look here !" cried John, peeping out
through the sacks. Out of one of the tents
came man striped from head 10 foot like a
zebra, another in purple velvet and spangles,
and fairy with tluttering gauze wings.
Maria had never heard of fairies. She had
never heard or read of anything which could
explain these monsters.
A minute later man carrying great
basket of raw beef went into one of the tents
and there came from inside furious growls,
yelps, and last, the roar of lion.
Johns red face turned to pasty color. He
shook as if the beasts had him in their jaws,
and opening his mouth, uttered shrill shreks
Maria, without II word got up, and catching
him by the shoulder dragged him down from
the wagon, towards the gate. 1t was then
that she showed that there was good stuff in
her.
Hush p she said Come out of this.
am going home"
just then the flip of another tent lifted, and
two moving mountains of flesh came out, aud
advanced towards her. The girl had never
seen even the picture OF an elephant. She
stood still, as if paralyzed, in front of them.
I'm going home" she mechanically re-
peated looking up at them. Some of the
men dragged her out of the path.
"Who are you? Where did you come
trom?" they asked.
John was too frightened to speak I'VE
came on Gottfrey Sohner's wagon" said
Maria, her round eyes still fixed on the ele-
plants.
The Dutchman who brought the corn ?"
said one of the men. why did you stay be-
hind him? He has gone home long ago"
John gave a cry of despair, and the poor
girl sauk as if she had been shot. Hunger
and terror, with this last blow, had crushed
her stout little heart at last. The children
were in circus and menagerie to which
Sohner, by previous agreement, had brought
his corn and oats.
Some of the woman took Maria to their
tent and put her to bed. They ted her and
nursed her tenderly ali day. They gave John
some work about the horses, for doing which
he received his meals. The two children
were kindly treated and even petted by all
the queer, half wild people of the CIRQUE. The
poor girls who rode on the barebacked horses
in robes of tulle, ran in between the acts to
see if Maria had eaten her soup and to pat
her stout shoulders and nod kindly to her.
The next morning the manager sent for
the children.
"Sohner," he said, cleft his wagon for US
to bring with us. We go to Easton next
week. Will you wait and go with us? We
shall pass through your village. Or shall we
send you directly home? If you stay, these
ladies will take cook care of the little girl"
1t was Maria, as usual, who spoke. "Well
go home, please. The ladies are very kind.
Butt want mother" and she began to sob.
The bare-backed rider looked ut the clown,
who jerked off his cap edged with bells and
passed it round. The silver pieces iingled in
it, until there was just enough to pay for the
children's fare in the wagon which ran
once a week from Philadelphia up the
Lehigh Valley. They started that night,
loaded with little gifts and provisions for the
journey.
Years passed before John and Maria were
forgiven by the good Moravians for their
freak. They wore regarded as dangerous char
acters for long time, though, indeed, they
had never been so humble and dutiful at heart
as they became after this terrible adventure.
In process of time they grew up and were
married. John became a missionary, but
died year after their wedding. Maria came
back, widow now herself, and took the
rooms her mother had had in the Sister House
She lived there, for nearly halfa century,a
calm, orderly, peaceful life. She never again
left the quiet building in which her child
hood had been passed, or tried to break its
dull monotony. But when she used to tell
of this, her one adventure, her eyes would
burn and her chin culver
She would never hear an evil word against
any of Gods creatures.
81, myself" she would say, was once
among the abandoned of tile earth, -poor cir
Gus players and wild beast tanners, AMI they
treated me as their own child Gods mark
of ownership is on all His children-some-
where. - Youths COmpanion